New Guinea impatiens plant named ‘Duesweetfire’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Duesweetfire’, characterized by its compact, upright, rounded and uniform plant habit; freely branching and freely flowering habit; red-colored flowers that are positioned above and beyond the leaves; and dark green-colored leaves.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Duesweetfire.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duesweetfire’.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram is to develop freely branching New Guinea Impatiens cultivarsthat flower early and have large flowers.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in 1996 of a proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeriidentified as code number K-1, not patented, as the female, or seedparent, with a proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified ascode number 94-15-1, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. Thecultivar Duesweetfire was discovered and selected by the Inventor as aflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in acontrolled environment in Rheinberg, Germany in 1997.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken inRheinberg, Germany since 1998, has shown that the unique features ofthis new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Duesweetfire’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Duesweetfire’ as a new and distinctImpatiens cultivar:

1. Compact, upright, rounded and uniform plant habit.

2. Freely branching and freely flowering habit.

3. Red-colored flowers that are positioned above and beyond the leaves.

4. Dark green-colored leaves.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, the selection K-1. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inRheinberg, Germany, plants of the New Impatiens differed from plants ofthe selection K-1 in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the New Impatiens were more compact than plants of theselection K-1.

2. Plants of the New Impatiens were more freely flowering than plants ofthe selection K-1.

Plants of the New Impatiens can be compared to plants of the maleparent, the selection 94-15-1. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inRheinberg, Germany, plants of the New Impatiens differed from plants ofthe selection 94-15-1 in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the New Impatiens were more compact than plants of theselection 94-15 -1.

2. Plants of the New Impatiens were more freely flowering than plants ofthe selection 94-15-1.

Plants of the New Impatiens can also be compared to plants of thecultivar Lanai, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,397. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the New Impatiensdiffered from plants of the cultivar Lanai in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the New Impatiens were more compact than plants of thecultivar Lanai.

2. Plants of the New Impatiens had shorter internodes than plants of thecultivar Lanai.

3. Plants of the New Impatiens had smaller leaves than plants of thecultivar Lanai.

4. Plants of the New Impatiens had shorter peduncles than plants of thecultivar Lanai.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newImpatiens. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typicalflowering plant of ‘Duesweetfire’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Duesweetfire has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during thespring, under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse. Plantswere about 16 weeks from cuttings and were grown in 12-cm containers.During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged18° C. and light levels were about 4,500 lux.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Duesweetfire.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified ascode number K-1, not patented.

Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified ascode number 94-15-1, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 7 days at 22° C. Winter: About 10days at 22° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Summer: About 18 days at 22° C.Winter: About 25 days at 22° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous and white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Compact, upright, rounded and uniform plant growthhabit; freely branching and flowering habit. Moderately vigorous.

Crop time.—From unrooted cuttings, about 16 weeks are required toproduce finished flowering plants in 12-cm containers.

Plant height.—About 14 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 30 cm.

Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: About six. Length: About 11.5 cm.Diameter: About 6 mm. Internode length: About 3 cm. Color: 59A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite or in whorls. Length: About9.1 cm. Width: About 3 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Apiculate. Base: Obtuse.Margin: Serrulate with ciliation. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:Smooth, glabrous; leathery. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Young andfully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A. Young and fully expandedfoliage, lower surface: 147B. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 59A.

Petiole.—Length: About.1.7 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper andlower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 59A.

Flower description:

Flower type and flowering habit.—Single red-colored flowers. Freely andcontinuously flowering; usually about five flowers and flower buds perlateral branch. Flowers positioned above and beyond the foliage andtypically face upward or outward. Petals self-cleaning; gynoeciumpersistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Flower longevity.—Flowers last about one week on the plant.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions; in the garden,flowering from spring until fall. Plants begin flowering about eightweeks after planting.

Flower buds.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: 59A.

Flower diameter.—About 5.7 by 5 cm.

Flower depth.—About 8 mm.

Flower shape.—Mostly rounded; mostly flat to slightly cupped.

Petals.—Quantity: Five per flower, imbricate. Length: About 2.2 cm.Width: About 2.4 cm. Shape: Obcordate. Apex: Emarginate, lobed. Base:Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth;satiny. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: 43A; colordoes not fade with subsequent development. When opening and fullyopened, lower surface: 44C.

Spur.—Quantity: One per flower. Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: At apex:Less than 1 mm. At flower: About 2.5 mm. Aspect: Curved downward. Color:59A.

Peduncles.—Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Strength:Moderately strong; flexible. Color: 59A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity/arrangement: Five fusedat anthers, hooded; filaments free. Anther length: About 4 mm. Anthershape: Oval. Anther color: Towards apex, 43A; towards base, 16C. Pollenamount: Abundant. Pollen color: 11D. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: One perflower. Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma color: 145D. Style length:Less than 1 mm. Style color: 145D. Ovary arrangement: Five-celled. Ovarycolor: 146A.

Seeds/fruits.—Seeds and fruit development has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Impatiens.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Impatiens have been observed tobe tolerant to temperatures ranging from 8 to 35° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiensplant named ‘Duesweetfire’, as illustrated and described.